"Zhang Zhi, what nonsense are you talking about? I've never been a player, and I truly care for Xiao Yun," Yu Qingli said annoyed, glaring at the middle-aged male cultivator. Then, he quickly turned to look at the maid Xiao Yun who hadn't walked far and swiftly tried to make amends.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang Zhi immediately broke into laughter, and the other two male cultivators at the table also showed smiles, while the only female cultivator's face displayed displeasure.

"You have the nerve to talk about true feelings, pah."

A cultivator dressed as a scholar immediately chimed in, "Fairy Hua is right, Yu Qingli, how many female cultivators have you truly cared for? Can you even count them all?"

Yu Qingli, both angry and anxious, could only fling his sleeve and say dryly, "If you don't believe me, forget it."

Everyone laughed and joked for a while, but seeing Yu Qingli dejected and no longer retorting, they lost interest.

At that moment, one of the five, an elderly man with white hair, turned to Yuan Ming and asked, "This fellow Daoist looks unfamiliar; have you just arrived in Little Lake City?"

"I've been in the city for a while now, but I've mostly been in seclusion for cultivation and seldom go out," Yuan Ming shook his head.

"Oh? It seems like you are a diligent cultivator. But in my opinion, it's still important to go out and about. Otherwise, it's easy to encounter mental stagnation, which isn't beneficial for one's cultivation," Yu Qingli perked up again.

"Daoist Yu is quite right, we cultivators must not confine ourselves and work in isolation; otherwise, even if our cultivation improves, it's like a castle in the sky, collapsing at the slightest touch," the white-haired elder nodded.

"Daoist Lu speaks the truth. Without looking far, isn't Shengye Sect a prime example? The disciples rarely go out for tempering; they spend their days either conducting alchemy, medicine cultivation, or in secluded cultivation. Their cultivation might seem strong, but in actual combat, they fall short. If not for the Nascent Soul ancestor overseeing the sect, they might have been wiped out long ago," Zhang Zhi nodded.

"Zhang Zhi, look at what you're saying; isn't that contradictory? In the end, didn't Shengye Sect manage to secure a foothold in Thunder Continent because of their ancestor's grueling secluded cultivation and Nascent Soul achievement? Doesn't this further prove that cultivation is more important than anything else?" Yu Qingli chuckled softly.

"That's a Nascent Soul, can it be compared? And come to think of it, when you list all the Sects in the Central Plains that have a Nascent Soul, Shengye Sect still ranks at the bottom. Isn't that because their Nascent Soul ancestor isn't as strong as other Nascent Soul cultivators?" Zhang Zhi countered.

"Indeed, Nascent Soul cultivators are not on the same level as ordinary cultivators; one can't generalize," Cultivator Lu also nodded.

"Speaking of Shengye Sect, have you heard about the recent attack on their disciples during an outing?" the scholar-clad cultivator suddenly interjected.

"Of course, we've heard about it. The attacker is none other than the Soul Cultivator Pu Zhengqing, who appeared in Little Lake City a few years ago. It's the talk of the town, and Shengye Sect has put up a hefty bounty, raising his price. Now many are looking to find him for a big reward," Yu Qingli said.

"You know what, don't let spirit stones blind you. A friend of mine told me that the murder of a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Zhenling Sect was also his doing. Counting the Shengye Sect trial, there have already been three Foundation Establishment cultivators who have died at his hands recently," said the scholar-clad cultivator.

"It's actually four; there's also a cultivator from Chang Chun Temple, named Xu Changqing, who died by his hand," Fairy Hua suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled.

"Is that true, Fairy Hua?" Zhang Zhi asked.

"A while ago, you all knew about the reward posted by Chang Chun Temple at the Loose Cultivation Association. I have a good friend from Zhenling Sect who mentioned this matter to me. It seems Xu Changqing's body was discovered alongside another from their sect named Gu Qiulong. There were also many signs at the scene that they had fought side by side against the same opponent, so it should be true," Fairy Hua expressed.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming was puzzled. He had clearly disguised the scene to look like Xu Changqing and Gu Qiulong had perished in a fire, and later, when he possessed a Zhenling Sect cultivator, they had confirmed this. How had it now turned into them fighting alongside one another?

Could it be that Zhenling Sect feared blame from Chang Chun Temple and deliberately fabricated the scene?

"Tsk, if that's the case, Soul Cultivators are truly terrifying. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators from reputable sects joined forces and still couldn't defeat one of them," Yu Qingli shook his head.

"What did you expect? Why do you think Soul Cultivation is taboo? It's because they possess the power to overwhelm their peers and have such unfathomable methods," Zhang Zhi said.

"That may be true, but Soul Cultivators aren't invincible. Isn't the recent incident with Shengye Sect a case in point? That Hagon, he not only killed two of the Soul Cultivator's subordinates by himself but also successfully repelled him and saved the Shengye Sect members. It's said that he's just a cultivator at the early-stage of Foundation Establishment. It's a wonder how he cultivated to achieve that," Cultivator Lu remarked with emotion.

"Indeed, I've also inquired about him. He seems to be a Loose Cultivator, and both his strength and character are exceptional. His future is immeasurable," Fairy Hua said, her eyes revealing a hint of admiration.

The scholar-clad cultivator beside her heard this and immediately commented bitterly, "He's just lucky that he made a name for himself with a single fight. There's no reason other Loose cultivators couldn't match him."

"Heh, if Fellow Daoist Cui thinks so, then why don't you name someone else as impressive as him?" Fairy Hua glared at him.

The Cultivator Cui, provoked by her, flushed red, his gaze darting around wildly. But for a moment, he couldn't recall another famous Loose Cultivator.

"Alas, I do recall someone who could rival Hagon, not sure if you all have heard about him?" Yu Qingli suddenly said with a smile.

Curious, everyone turned their gazes toward him, but he leisurely took a sip of tea before continuing.

"This person was once abandoned by the Chang Chun Temple and later plunged into the Southern Border alone. He lived through trials and tribulations, a slim chance of survival, and it took him three years just to return to the Da Jin Capital. Yet, when he did, he had already become a Foundation Establishment cultivator and even publicly challenged the State Preceptor at the abdication ceremony, killing him."

Hua Xianzi suddenly realized, "You're talking about Yuan Ming, the author of the 'Southern Travel Chronicles,' Young Master Yuan, right? Indeed, he's comparable to Hagon, but it seems we haven't heard much about him in recent years."

"Sigh, after all, he offended the Chang Chun Temple, even with his talent, his current life can't be easy," Cultivator Lu sighed, clasping his wrist.

Just then, Zhang Zhi looked at everyone with a peculiar expression and said, "In fact, I happened to encounter Yuan Ming not long ago."

"Really?" Everyone was immediately surprised.

Yuan Ming was startled and looked up at Zhang Zhi but couldn't remember where he had seen him.

"I remember it was near Tongdu City, I was being harried by a few cultivators at the time, and suddenly one erupted to rescue me, taking care of the enemies. When I asked for his name, he told me it was Yuan Ming. He not only declined the gift I offered in return but instead gave me a signed copy of 'Young Master Sheng's Southern Journey' which he claimed to have written. Let me show it to you," Zhang Zhi said as he took out a book and placed it on the table.

Everyone immediately crowded around, taking turns to hold the book and flip through it, all expressing admiration.

After making its rounds, the book reached Yuan Ming. As he opened it, he instantly recognized that, although the handwriting was somewhat similar to his, it wasn't written by his hand.

Why would someone impersonate me?

Contemplating in his heart, Yuan Ming passed the book back.

"In recent years, our Da Jin really has an abundance of talents. Not to mention Yuan Ming and Hagon among the young generation of cultivators. Even the abdicated Jin Country Emperor is said to have risen from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment in just three years, his path entirely unobstructed—such talent is truly enviable," Daoist Lu remarked wistfully.

"Isn't that the case? And what about the likes of Gao Qian from the Chang Chun Temple, Immortal Hai Xiang from the Water Spirit Palace, Bai Chengnan from the Bailuo Manor? Which one isn't invincible among their peers, known far and wide?" Zhang Zhi nodded in agreement.

"Sigh, who do you say is the strongest among these people?" Yu Qingli inquired.

"That would certainly be Gao Qian. He is the prodigy of the Chang Chun Temple. There's a rumor that not too long ago, he began secluding himself in preparation for Core Formation; it won't be long before he's on a different level from the others," Zhang Zhi responded.

"I don't see it that way; Fairy Hai Xiang had sparred with Gao Qian before and neither emerged superior. Moreover, she has also kept out of the public eye in recent years—she may be preparing for Core Formation as well," Cultivator Lu suggested, stroking his beard.

"So you're saying, among the three, Bai Chengnan is the weakest? And I wonder how Yuan Ming and Hagon compare to him," Yu Qingli said with a laugh.

"No matter how strong Yuan Ming and Hagon are, they are still Loose Cultivators. Bai Chengnan has the entire Bailuo Manor behind him; they couldn't possibly best him," Zhang Zhi shook his head.

"Speaking of the Bailuo Manor, I heard that their Foreign Affairs Elder was assassinated not long ago, I wonder if any clues have been found," Cultivator Lu mentioned.

"Who knows, the Bailuo Manor keeps a tight seal on its lips, even if there are clues they wouldn't speak out. Probably only after they catch the murderer and seek vengeance will we hear any news," Zhang Zhi said, spreading his hands.

While they were chatting, at the table next to them, a male cultivator suddenly stood up and walked over.

"Fellow Daoists, I am Jiang Xiong, and I apologize for the interruption. I have a few questions I'd like to consult with you, could you please enlighten me?" the male cultivator asked, cupping his fists.

"Fellow Daoist, please speak your mind," Cultivator Lu nodded.

"It's like this: I come from the Northern Desert and have a son who has cultivated with me for some time. He has now reached the Qi Refining Third Level, but as you know, the road of a Loose Cultivator is difficult to travel. I do not wish for my son to follow in my footsteps. Having long heard of the Central Plains as a holy land for cultivation, I brought him with me so he could be accepted into a sect here. However, I'm new to the Central Plains and unfamiliar with the details of the various sects. I happened to hear that you Fellow Daoists seem to be rather knowledgeable about the sects of the Central Plains, so I wanted to ask for some advice," explained Jiang Xiong.

"If Fellow Daoist has the means, then send your child to the Chang Chun Temple, after all, it's the foremost sect in the Central Plains, you can hardly go wrong," Zhang Zhi suggested.

"I have heard of the great name of the Chang Chun Temple, but my son has only three spirit roots, I'm afraid the Temple might not regard him highly," Jiang Xiong sighed lightly, smiling bitterly.

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